Here at Little Soap HQ we generally live along the 80/20 rule when it comes to living a clean and healthy lifestyle, and we think that stand us in pretty good stead most of the time. The one thing we do believe we cannot relax on however, is animal cruelty. We’re 100% cruelty free here at Little Soap Company and we’re proud to display the leaping bunny symbol to our customers. But living a cruelty free life isn’t always easy, and there are often pitfalls that can throw us off track now and then. Our passion is 100%- but in practise we may stumble now and then. Here are three little obstacles to living a cruelty-free life- and what you can do about them.
You’re not sure which companies are cruelty-free
One of the easiest ways to know if a company is cruelty-free is to look for the leaping bunny symbol on packaging and websites. The symbol is international, and it means that the brand concerned is committed to ensuring its practises and products are cruelty-free- so that you can rest assured you are doing the right thing when you shop with them.
Here at Little Soap, all our cosmetic products under our own brand are certified as not tested on animals under the Cruelty Free International Leaping Bunny programme– the international gold standard for products that are free from animal testing. We adhere to a fixed cut-off date policy and proactively monitor our suppliers to ensure that our products continue to adhere to the Leaping Bunny criteria. Our supplier monitoring system is also open to independent audit. We want to ensure our customers receive and benefit from, genuine cruelty free, 100% natural soap.
If you’re not sure about a specific brand, you can visit the Cruelty Free International site and look them up. If they don’t appear but you believe them to cruelty-free, it may be that they have not applied for the logo yet- so contact them, and ask about their ethics and ingredients.
You don’t know where to buy cruelty- free products
Its so much easier to find cruelty-free products today than it was ten years ago, but the surge of more awareness does also mean that some brands may not be quite all that they seem! Being unsure of where to buy genuine cruelty-free products can be an issue, especially when you’re starting out on this journey. Again, if shopping online look for the leaping bunny symbol. On the high street, things can get a little more tricky.
The key here is to be methodical and consistent with your shopping. Research the brands that you know you want to shop, and then search online to see if you can buy them in supermarkets or high street chemists, for example. Specialist health food shops can be excellent sources of ‘new to you’ brands so well worth a browse if you have time. 
You think that switching to cruelty-free is more expensive
The truth is that of you’re making a switch from your usual cosmetics and cleaning products, for example, then yes- it will be expensive. You will need to throw out of all your current favourites and replace them with crusty-free versions instead. This is why we always recommend a gradual change over, and advise that you replace each item as it runs out. This will help with the initial ‘pay out’ for cruelty-free items.
But is cruelty-free shopping more expensive as a general rule? Not necessarily. As with anything, some brands will be more pricey than others- its up to you to do your research and shop around for the best deal you can find. Look out for special offers, discounts and opportunities to bulk buy where you can. And think of this as an investment. With every cruelty-free product you buy, you are undoubtedly making a positive difference, and that’s got to be worth its weight in gold.
